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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 6/9/21. Euan Leith's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Happy Wednesday, RotoBallers! A 12-game schedule greets us halfway through the week. There are high-priced flamethrowers, bargain bin hurlers, and some discounted bats all over the map. It kicks off with three games starting at 7:05 pm ET and goes through to the Kansas City Royals-Los Angeles Angels matchup on the West Coast at 9:38 pm ET. As far as weather goes, it seems like a 50-50 shot if the Atlanta-Philadelphia game will go ahead with some rain in the forecast, and there's a chance of some showers in Cincinnati, St. Louis, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh.
Despite some not-so-pleasant headlines recently, the majority of players will still flock to Gerrit Cole against a Minnesota team floundering 12 games below .500. Cole's popularity will create an intriguing contrarian opportunity with a Twins stack. In other spots, we will see Tony Gonsolin make his 2021 debut versus Pittsburgh. We can also take our talents to South Beach as Austin Gomber looks to continue his impressive form against the sinking Miami lineup.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 6/9/2021. The lineup will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also check out today's FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. It’s also important to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. If you have any questions or comments, contact me on Twitter.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Casey Mize - P, DET vs. SEA ($6,800)
Despite Spencer Turnbull collecting the no-hitter and Tarik Skubal turning some heads with his recent strikeout numbers, Casey Mize is still an essential and improving member of this Tigers rotation. Since May 12 (five starts), the 24-year old is spinning a 2.25 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, and a 25 percent strikeout. While we would love to see the strikeout numbers bump up a bit (30 Ks in his last 32 innings), he's showing excellent run prevention skills and stamina by throwing six innings or more in five of his previous six outings. The strikeout numbers will also receive a boost versus Seattle tonight. Since May 1, the Mariners are going down swinging 26 percent of the time against right-handed pitching. Plus, they are slashing .208/.288/.368 against righties with a 88 weighted Runs Created Plus in that same time frame. Combining a sub-$7,000 price tag with Mize's recent form puts him right in the SP2 discussion for Wednesday's slate.
Austin Gomber - P, COL at MIA ($6,000)
It's over two months into the season, and today is the first time I'll write about two pitchers below $7,000 in the same article. That's thanks to Austin Gomber being on the road against the incredibly whiff-friendly Miami Marlins. As for Gomber, he is putting together a fantastic run of results to save his new team's face in that diabolical Nolan Arenado deal. Over his last five outings, the left-handed hurler owns a 1.53 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and has collected 32 strikeouts in 29 and 1/3 innings. Two of those five matchups were at Coors, so this isn't just an on-the-road kind of deal for Gomber. In that same handful of contests, the southpaw is averaging 22.6 DraftKings points per start, and we can expect similar results tonight. As for the Marlins, they have the second-worst OPS in the league versus lefties since May and strike out 30.9 percent of the time. The price, the matchup, and the current run of form make Gomber a desirable SP2 option tonight, and I'll make sure to have a tournament lineup with Mize and Gomber.
Other options: Gerrit Cole at MIN ($11,200), Tony Gonsolin at PIT ($9,100), Shane McClanahan vs. WAS ($8,200)
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DraftKings DFS Infielders
Eric Haase - C/OF, DET vs. Chris Flexen ($3,800)
I have to have Haase in a lineup tonight. (Say that three times fast). Haase has been spectacular since being called up due to injuries taking their toll on the Tiger's catching depth. In 84 at-bats, the utility man slashes .265/.324/.647 with 14 runs, three doubles, a triple, seven home runs, and 11 RBI. Since the calendar flipped to June, he has five home runs, and his volcanically-hot bat is moving him up the Tigers lineup. He hit fifth in three straight games over the weekend before finding himself as the cleanup hitter last night in the series opener. Of course, batting in the heart of any lineup gives any player an opportunity for a big night, but with the kind of bat Haase is swinging, he could win a contest by himself.
Dominic Smith - 1B/OF - NYM at Matt Harvey ($5,200)
As the weather heats up, so is Dominic Smith. Over his last 10 games, the left-handed slugger has a 1.155 OPS and averages 9.3 fantasy points per game for the New York Mets. Tonight, he will see Matt Harvey and his 6.62 ERA on the mound in home-run friendly Camden Yards. While Smith only has four long balls on the year, two have come in the first eight days of June. His wRC+ has risen each month, going from 53 in April to 102 in May and sitting at 235 in June. I'll play the hot hand at first tonight and go home-run hunting with Smith against a pitcher who's allowed five home runs in his last four starts.
Jonathan India - 2B, CIN vs. Brett Anderson ($3,700)
India has sat atop the Reds lineup for three consecutive games now and seems to be the table-setter for an offense capable of exploding on any night. But, of course, India could be swinging an icicle at the plate, and I would still roster him under $4,000 as the leadoff guy. Fortunately for us, the second baseman is hitting the ball as well as he has at any point this season. In June, the rookie is slashing .444/.583/.889 with six runs, two doubles, two home runs, three RBI, a steal, and five walks to only two strikeouts. He'll have the righty-on-lefty platoon advantage with Brett Anderson on the mound, and if he doesn't drive himself in via the longball, there's a high probability Jesse Winker or Nick Castellanos will do it for him.
Ke'Bryan Hayes - 3B, PIT vs. Tony Gonsolin ($4,600)
While I mentioned Tony Gonsolin as a viable option as one of your starters tonight, it's hard to ignore what Hayes is doing since returning from his wrist injury. After two months on the shelf, the third baseman is 8-for-22 with four runs, a double, a triple, a home run, and three RBI. He's likely the only one on the Pirates roster who can create damage to Gonsolin, and that's why he remains in play for Wednesday. Still, Hayes was touted in the preseason as a breakout candidate, and he's proving those accolades were not for nothing. The wrist injury was a shame, but he's back now, and we can enjoy him in all his DFS glory. Fortunately, the crowd will fade the Pirates in general because they will be such heavy underdogs, and it may leave Hayes with a lower-than-expected roster percentage when lineups lock.
Francisco Lindor - SS, NYM at Matt Harvey ($4,700)
Fellow Rotoballer Brian Entrekin mentioned it in yesterday's picks, but it looks like Lindor is finally coming around after a couple of tough months in New York. After posting a sub-.650 OPS in April and May, the shortstop is up to a .321/.367/.571 slash line in June with eight runs, two doubles, a triple, a home run, and two RBI. As I mentioned earlier with Dominic Smith, Matt Harvey will be pitching for the Orioles tonight, and it gives Lindor an excellent opportunity to continue his recent turnaround. The Orioles bullpen allows a 4.38 ERA this season and more than a home run per nine innings, so even if Harvey gets pulled early, Lindor will have favorable matchups. So grab him while he's still under $5,000, and don't be surprised if he hits one out in Camden Yards.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Shohei Ohtani - 1B/OF, LAA vs. Brad Keller ($5,900)
When Ohtani is on a roll, it's challenging to keep him off the DFS roster. Over his last three games, the two-way phenom has a 1.321 OPS with three runs, a double, a home run, two RBI, two stolen bases, and seven walks to four strikeouts. He's averaging a casual 15.7 FPPG in that trio of games and is averaging 9.4 FPPG on the season. Of course, that's a little tough to quantify with his pitching starts thrown in there as well, but Ohtani is just that: hard to quantify. He's been electric on the mound and in the batter's box, and his ability to send any pitch out of the ballpark makes him appealing in any contest.
Nick Castellanos - OF, CIN vs. Brett Anderson ($4,500)
With everyone falling over themselves to praise Jesse Winker, it's easy for most of the crowd to forget about their other All-Star caliber outfielder, Nick Castellanos. While Winker has been on an absolute tear, Castellanos still puts up useful numbers in real life and fantasy baseball. Over his last 10 games, the former-Tiger is slashing .366/.409/.488 with three runs and five doubles. He's posted some goose eggs in the home run and RBI department, but that's not going to be the case for much longer. I'm sure if Winker stops clearing the bases every time he steps to the plate, Castellanos will get his share of RBI-producing chances.
Tyler O'Neill - OF, STL vs. Jean Carlos Mejia ($4,100)
O'Neill has hit fifth for the Cardinals lineup in three of his last five games, and I'm hoping to see that again on Wednesday. Since returning from the IL on May 27 (11 games), the outfielder has a 1.151 and a .481 weighted On Base Average with nine runs, five doubles, five home runs, and 11 RBI. The long-term concern is his 37.8 percent strikeout rate, but as long as he's making contact with the ball, it's going a long way. He's reached base in all 11 games since his return and has multi-hit efforts in four of those contests. At $4,100 and batting in the heart of the Cardinals order, there are a lot worse options for a more expensive price tag than O'Neill tonight.
DraftKings DFS Stacks
- Cincinnati Reds vs. Milwaukee Brewers (Brett Anderson, LHP)
- New York Mets at Baltimore Orioles (Matt Harvey, RHP)
- Sneaky stack: Minnesota Twins vs. New York Yankees (Gerrit Cole, RHP)
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